A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. ruled today the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is “unconstitutionally structured” and that the scope of Director Richard Cordray’s position is a “threat to individual liberty.” Henceforth his power has been limited. The

Better Homes and Real Gardens Real Estate surveyed 1,000 U.S. investors and found that 89 percent are interested in investing in real estate as part of their investment strategy.  The survey also revealed that 80 percent of investors believe

Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey is among the more detailed inquiries into how everyday consumers view the U.S.’ housing market, and the Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) portion of the survey – which details how Americans view the buying

Back in 2012, appraisals were a hot item. Thanks to a myriad of factors – chief among them inexperienced appraisers and dramatic changes to how the industry was organized – low appraisals were the cause of numerous contract failures

Ninety-eight percent of Realtors believe buyers respond to curb appeal, a National Association of Realtors report found. Improving a home’s curb appeal is a quick and relatively inexpensive way (as far as home-improvement projects go) to boost a home’s

David Wieland is the founder and CEO of Realized, an online crowdfunding platform that simplifies the 1031 exchange process; a process he discussed with us in regards to how it affects real estate agents.  Chicago Agent (CA): First and

Last week, we reported on NAR’s “Profile of Real Estate Firms,” an exhaustive look at the composition of today’s realty businesses and a projection of where they are heading. Our first report looked at the state of real estate firms

For most buyers and sellers, contacting a real estate agent isn’t their first step. Their first move is to go online. Sixty-six percent of Realtors and 70 percent of brokers have a website, the National Association of Realtors’ 2015 Member

Home prices in the Chicagoland housing market posted the second-strongest monthly increase in the U.S., according to the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Indices from Standard & Poor’s. From June to July, Chicagoland prices rose 0.9 percent, which was ahead

  The votes are in! Thank you to the many members of our real estate community, who submitted thousands of votes and helped generate buzz for this year’s Agents’ Choice Awards. We’ve tallied up the votes and determined the

September is Realtor safety month – an important month for real estate. As a real estate agent, you are vulnerable to harassment, being robbed at gunpoint, kidnapping and even murder. Your job can be risky – in fact, nearly 40 percent

In one of his more famous speeches, Don Draper, the central character of the “Mad Men” television series, stated that advertising is based on one thing – happiness. And though his focus was on the ad world, Draper could

The “Profile of Real Estate Firms” is among the most interesting annual surveys from the National Association of Realtors. Conducted among its executive members, the profile offers an in-depth look at the higher echelons of the industry, as well

For some time now, agents and analysts alike have wondered why so few Millennials are buying homes, but new Census data has provided a remarkably straightforward answer – they’re all living at home with their parents. Compiled by Time magazine,

Eighty percent of U.S. metro areas are lacking in single-family home construction, and few areas are in greater need than Chicagoland, according to a new analysis from the National Association of Realtors. Comparing home construction to job gains from

The National Association of Home Builders wants to organize its membership to help pass 15 of what it describes as “critical” building code changes. In its release, the association wrote: “NAHB is urging its members to get involved locally